The best birdwatching spots in the UK

Thousands of puffins descend on Rathlin Island each spring

(Image credit: Alamy / Watters Wildlife Photography)

published 6 May 2025

The first Sunday of May is International Dawn Chorus Day when "nature's avian orchestra is in full voice", said The Times. Spring is an exciting time of year for bird watching, with a flurry of activity as winter visitors depart for their breeding grounds, migratory species return, and native birds begin nesting. Here are some of the best spots in the UK to hole up with a pair of binoculars.

Rathlin Island, County Antrim

Thousands of puffins descend on Rathlin Island each April for nesting season, said The Guardian. The "year-round human population of 150 is swollen" by thousands of twitchers who arrive to see the black guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes that nest in the rugged cliffs. During the summer, you might even glimpse the "exceedingly rare" red-billed chough. Overlooking the harbour on the west side of Church Bay, The Manor House is an "ideal" base to spend a few days.

Mersea Island, Essex

It's well worth booking a stay at the "peacefully remote" Samphire cabin, said The Times. It's located on the banks of a tidal estuary near the often-submerged causeway to Mersea Island, and there's "rich" bird life to spot throughout the year, from oystercatchers and curlews to marsh harriers, shelducks and reed buntings. Numbers "swell" in spring as sandmartins, chiffchaffs and swallows arrive. "At dawn and dusk, you'll have a front row seat on the cabin's deck."

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Rutland Water, East Midlands

This "wide and open" reservoir is home to an "array of lagoons, wetlands and meadows" that make it a "wonderful" bird habitat, said Country Living. It's one of the best places in the country to spot previously endangered ospreys, thanks to the "incredible success" of the Rutland Osprey Project. If you're lucky, you might spot a kingfisher or white egret by the water, too.

North Uist, Outer Hebrides

Expect "delightfully diverse" bird watching on this remote Scottish isle, said The Guardian. Situated between Harris and Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, North Uist is a great place to spot white-tailed eagles (Britain's biggest bird) and goldcrests (Britain's smallest bird). In May, keep an eye out for cuckoos, short-eared owls and hen harriers. Consider booking one of the "luxurious" Uist Forest Retreats; secluded treehouse-style cabins in the woods.

Romney Marsh, Kent

Although numbers have plummeted, it's still possible to catch a glimpse of a crimson-chested male linnet on Romney Marsh, said The Times. In spring, reed buntings, corn buntings and lapwings arrive to breed, and you might see a honey buzzard or purple heron. Consider booking a stay at the "romantic" Romany cabin right by the marsh, and near Camber Sands and Rye: the "perfect birder's bolthole", it also features a tranquil garden and a hot tub.

Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.